Objective: The proportion of geriatric inpatients has increased with the increase of the elderly in the general population. This study aims to compare the medical and psychiatric conditions of geriatric inpatients with those of non-geriatric adult inpatients. Method: Consultation notes of inpatients who have been referred to the Marmara University Hospital Consultation Liaison Unit from different departments, between August 2005 and August 2006 were assessed retrospectively. Patients were divided into two groups, including those over 65 years of age and those between 18-55 years. These two groups were compared according to their sociodemographic data, reasons for consultation, psychiatric signs and symptoms, medical diseases, alcohol and substance use history, personal and family psychiatric history, used medication, psychiatric diagnosis and suggested management. Results: The geriatric group consisted of 115 patients with a mean age of 73.0 years and the the non-geriatric group consisted of 129 patients with a mean age of 38.2 years. Internal Medicine Department asked for the highest number of consultations in both of the groups. The most common reasons for referral were psychomotor agitation in the geriatric group and depressive symptoms in the non-geriatric group. Delirium was diagnosed significantly more frequently in the geriatric group compared to the non-geriatric group (41.7% vs 12.4%; p
Key words: Consultation liaison psychiatry, elderly, inpatient, delirium
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